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With live gigs grinding to a halt for what seems like an eternity now, Nightwish have been kicking their heels since the release of their ninth studio album ‘Human. :II: Nature.’ in April 2020. It’s been over two years since the last Nightwish gig, and since then it’s not only the outside world that has changed drastically but also the Nightwish world. The kick-to-the-nuts that was the sad, unexpected departure of bassist Marko Hietala nearly derailed the band, and as mainman Tuomas Holopainen recently told Metal Hammer magazine, there was a real chance that Nightwish would’ve called it quits. But thankfully after a band and management meeting, the decision was made that Nightwish without Marko still had plenty to offer, and the first order of business was two live-streamed gigs.
With Nightwish, a live-streamed gig was always going to be something special, it was never going to be just the band coming live from a dark rehearsal room, this is Nightwish after all. So at great expense, Nightwish created a virtual tavern, The Islander Arms. Footage posted on official social media accounts showed the band rehearsing in front of giant green screens, screens where the background changes according to the song the band is playing, as well as the weather outside the tavern changing. Prior to the first of the two gigs commencing, the band announced that Wintersun bassist Jukka Koskinen would be joining the band as session bassist and not only would perform over the two nights but also on the much-delayed World tour that will hopefully finally begin later this year. The band were indeed back together again; minus a crucial figure, but they were back.
Once the on-screen clock reaches zero, the screen flickers to life and an old-time airship appears, the kind of ship that Phileas Fogg might have used on his jaunt around the world. It soars through the clouds, and after a few moments, it lands outside The Islander Arms. Safely disembarked from the airship, the band appears inside the tavern (there is a roaring fireplace, of course), and after some extraordinary tribal drumming from Kai Hahto, the band launches into the first of many new tracks; ‘Noise’. Floor Jansen looks and sounds as majestic as ever, and the way that she moves, and sings, and windmills, you honestly wouldn’t think that only last month she had an emergency operation to remove her gallbladder. No hints at all, and it is spellbinding watching her; especially when she breaks into the choral segment towards the end of the song. It’s easy to imagine the medical staff telling her to take it easy and give her body the chance to recuperate, only for her to go and break into one of her trademark windmills.
There are smiles all around, and the band is clearly amped for these shows. As per usual guitarist Emppu Vuorinenhe is in charge of keeping his bandmates smiling, and his interactions, and the little looks that he gives, has them, Kai Hahto in particular, constantly laughing. Multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley is on hand to take care of the backing/co-vocal parts that Marko put his stamp on, and it’s fantastic to see him playing a larger role within the band, especially when he breaks out an EBow later on during the set. Fans are so used to seeing the likable Brit playing an array of traditional instruments; pipes, whistles, mandolin, that it’s a genuine surprise when he straps on an electric guitar. Vocally, he is a great match-up for Floor Jansen, and it’s a real highlight when they team up for a beautiful rendition of ‘How’s The Heart’, with the full band joining them after a few minutes of the pair stealing the spotlight.
The set-list is well-balanced with new tracks from ‘Human. :II: Nature.’ slotting in seamlessly alongside Nightwish staples such as ‘Storytime’, ‘I Want My Tears Back’, and ‘Last Ride Of The Day’. Of the new tracks; ‘Tribal’, ‘Harvest’, ‘Shoemaker’, and the aforementioned ‘How’s The Heart’ really stand out, and with some carefully selected nuggets from the Nightwish back-cat (‘Planet Hell’ and ‘7 Days To The Wolves’), the band is going the extra mile for fans who will be tuning in for both shows. The closing 30 minutes or so are jaw-dropping; first up is ‘Ghost Love Score’ and if Floor’s performance doesn’t make you break out in goosebumps then nothing will, this is followed up by a show-stopping version of ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’, and just when you think that nothing can top that off, the outro has Floor blowing away all the competition with a spine-tingling ‘Ad Astra’. It truly has to be seen to be believed.
The virtual graphics work well in creating an atmosphere, but there are times when they are a tad intrusive; none more so than when just after Floor has delivered THAT vocal on ‘Ghost Love Score’ that Emppu reaches in for a fist-bump, and just when they are both about to meet – the camera cuts to graphics! Cue hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide screaming “NOOOOOOOOOOO!” Minor grumbles like this aside, it was a night to remember for so many reasons. The unmistakable highlight of the evening? That would be when the band is hugging each other during the outro and Tuomas Holopainen hugs Jukka Koskinen (who has done a remarkable job this evening) and holds on for a few seconds longer than he did with the others. Emotion is etched across his face and for a fleeting moment it looks like all the heartache from the last five months or so – and the weight of the world that he must have been carrying – has finally gotten to him, and for a second or two, he just lets it all out. An incredible, heartwarming moment to bring a special evening to its conclusion. Round two, anyone?
WE WERE HERE!
Nightwish 2021 tour dates, here.
All images courtesy of Nightwish on Facebook
